Rearrangement of Atomic Steps on the Silicon (001) Surface at Sublimation under Heating by Direct Electric Current

Read more Abstract
The combining atomic steps into bunches (groups of closely spaced steps) under conditions of electromigration, induced by direct current sample heating, on silicon surface (001) during sublimation in the temperature range 950-1150°С is studied using in situ reflection electron microscopy and ex situ atomic force microscopy. It is shown that changes in the average distance between the atomic steps bunches in time depend in a power-law manner, with an exponent of about 0.3. The data on the temperature dependence of the number of steps bunches per unit length, formed during the same time of annealing in the process of sublimation, has been obtained. It has been found that the temperature dependence is week with step-down current. The corresponding effective activation energy of the bunching process is about 0.24 eV with step-up current.

Keywords
silicon surface, electromigration, sublimation, atomic steps 
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant 16-32-60199 “mol_a_dk”) using the equipment of CKP ISP SBRAS “Nanostructures”
УДК 539.211.537.533

Rearrangement of Atomic Steps on the Silicon (001) Surfaceat Sublimation under Heating by Direct Electric Current